Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are steps that school districts can take to maximize investment and potential of new education technology. 

• What are the noticeable benefits for classrooms that invest in edtech? 

• Learn about the emerging edtech trends of 2020. 

From cutting-edge computing and cloud services to data-driven instruction and adaptive learning, K-12 edtech solutions are abundant. Unfortunately, so are school budget restrictions, unmanageable workloads and aging (not to mention underperforming) classroom technology, to name just a few concerns.

For administrators deciding which solutions to invest in, time and resources are limited. This makes implementation a critical—occasionally daunting—step to take. Yet, there are plenty of school districts whose implementation success stories provide useful guidance for finding new technology solutions to improve instruction.

Let’s explore the four principles that schools and districts should follow in order to maximize the potential of new classroom technology.

  1. Prioritize early evaluation With so many options being showcased at trade shows and conferences or on social media, it’s tempting to make your mind up before the search has even started.
  2. Create a plan, and stick to it Rather than reinvent the wheel, Houston’s Aldine Independent School District turned to other districts’ learnings before committing to their own edtech investment.
  3. Commit wholeheartedly to professional development Professional development offers many benefits—an expanded knowledge base, confidence boosts, support for setting and achieving goals, and overall improvement of craft.
  4. Measure success throughout the process Since implementing Promethean ActivPanels into its classrooms, Spartanburg School District Seven, a small urban district in the heart of upstate South Carolina, has experienced a noticeable improvement in the classrooms.
  5. Don’t go it alone Educational technology is a huge investment, and with budgets and performance to consider, school districts shouldn’t take implementing new products lightly.

Read the full article about edtech investment by Cheryl Miller at EdSurge.